Taking control with skydive challenge

Tashie King is doing a solo skydive to raise cash for the Breast Cancer Campaign after her step-mum Teresa Fawdett-Mitchell was diagnosed with the disease.

Published:13:00Wednesday 11 April 2012

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A FEELING of helplessness after a teenager’s stepmum was diagnosed with breast cancer has inspired her to take on a daredevil fundraising feat.

This weekend Tashie King will take a leap of faith when she does a solo skydive in aid of the Breast Cancer Campaign charity.

Teresa Fawdett-Mitchell's step-daughter Tashie King is doing a sky-dive after Teresa was diagnosed with breast cancer.

It was the 18-year-old’s new year’s resolution to take the plunge after Teresa Fawdett-Mitchell was diagnosed with breast cancer last October.

Tashie, of Park Road, Tring, said: “As a family we try and get on top of things and handle things but with something like breast cancer you can’t really do anything about it other than wait. I was sick of waiting and feeling powerless. I wanted to be pro-active.

“In a family I don’t think one person gets cancer, the whole family gets cancer.”

Before Teresa, 44, became ill, the pair had talked about doing a skydive together.

Tashie, who is in her final year of sixth form at Tring School, said: “It seems like that won’t happen for a long time so I thought I would do it in a way that still involves both of us.”

She had initially set a £2,000 fundraising target, but that was quickly smashed and a more ambitious £3,000 goal has also been exceeded this week.

“Although times are quite hard at the moment it is a real testament to how generous people can be and I think that is because so many people have been touched by breast cancer or cancer,” said Tashie, who will be jetting off to Paris to study French in September.

Among the donors are the villagers where Tashie’s grandparents live in North Wales, who held a fundraiser to bring in £1,400.

Teresa is currently enduring a nine week chemotherapy course, which will be followed by radiotheraphy.

She will be there, along with husband Dave, to see Tashie’s jump with the British Army Parachute Association in Salisbury Plain this Saturday. If the weather is not suitable the jump will move to Sunday.

“I’m more excited than anything but the closer it gets the more real it seems,” said Tashie.